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We’re currently reading the Anne of Green Gables novels by L. M. Montgomery, one of my favourite books from childhood. When we reached the chapter, “Diana is Invited to Tea with Tragic Results”, in which Anne accidentally got her bosom friend, Diana, drunk on Marilla’s Raspberry Cordial (it was really Raspberry Wine!) the kids wanted to try some, Raspberry Cordial that is!

I always think of raspberries as being a summer fruit in the UK so I thought we’d have to use frozen raspberries or substitute with fresh blackberries but thanks to raspberry growers using different varieties and growing methods they have extended the raspberry season in the UK from June to October. We popped to Tesco and picked a couple of packs of Supersweet Raspberries from Herefordshire.

We’ll definitely be buying lots more raspberries this month while they’re still fresh and in season. Making cordial is a tasty way to preserve the raspberries and extend the eating season too.

Marilla’s Raspberry Cordial

Raspberry Cordial is easy to make and tastes delicious, I can see why Diana Barry loved this drink so much. There are other recipes, some use white wine vinegar or lemon juice and omit the star anise but the hit of liquorice really enhances the sweetness of the raspberries. Here is our simple recipe:

Wash the raspberries in a bowl of cold water and drain (they’re too delicate to wash under running water).

Put clean raspberries in saucepan and cover with cold water.

Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes.

Strain the fruit over a colander for an hour or use a clean tea towel and gently squeeze out the juice more quickly (when time poor forcing the juice may cause cloudiness but won’t affect the flavour).

Pour the juice into the saucepan. Add the sugar and the star anise.

Boil for 10 minutes.

Remove the star anise and pour the cordial into a jar and leave to cool. Once cool, add sparkling (or still) water and serve.

Alternatively, pour into sterile bottles and the raspberry cordial will keep for up to three months (remember to label as we wouldn’t want any mix ups with drinks, would we?). If you make cordial closer to Christmas these make great gifts for Anne of Green Gables fans.

We couldn’t wait to drink ours! I’ll definitely double (or quadruple) the batch next time- it is so moreish! Serve and drink with kindred spirits.

I love bright red drinks, don’t you? They taste twice as good as any other colour.”

Anne of Green Gables

It’s equally served well while reading any of the Anne books in the series, watching the 1985 “Anne of Green Gables episodes with Megan Follows (she’ll always be “my Anne”) or even watching the new Netflix series “Anne with an E”. There are so many ways to get your “Anne” fix nowadays!

Do you love Anne of Green Gables? Make Marilla’s Raspberry Cordial and let me know what you think.